April 23, 2023
A Starting Point:
The definition of faith is NOT:
“I never have a doubt.”
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John 14:13 (NASB1995)
“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
John 14:14 (NASB1995)
“… so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
John 15:16 (NASB1995)
“… Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. “
John 16:23 (NASB1995)
“Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. “
John 16:24 (NASB1995)
The Idea:
Deal with the doubt of unanswered prayer; starting with putting unanswered prayer in two categories.
Two categories of unanswered prayer:
I. The “Easy To Understand” Kind
II. The “not so easy to understand” kind
‘Easy-to-Understand’ Unanswered Prayer
1. A Rebelling Heart
“If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear “
Psalm 66:18 (NASB1995)
“You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way … so that your prayers will not be hindered. “
1 Peter 3:7 (NASB1995)
2. Selfish Motives
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
James 4:3 (NASB1995)
3. Being Double-Minded
“7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. “
James 1:7–8 (NASB1995)
4. Insincere, Uncommitted Praying
Parable of the man at midnight.
5 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
Luke 11 (NASB1995)
5. Not Willing To Persevere
“1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, …
4 “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ”
Luke 18:1–5 (NASB1995)
Last Thing:
Doubt develops faith, because in the process I see God working.
So I have a will to believe, and not disbelieve.
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